Publication Abstracts

Shah and Rind 1998

Shah, K.P., and D. Rind, 1998: Comparing upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperatures: Microwave sounding unit, radiosonde, COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere, and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis monthly-mean climatologies. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 31569-31592, doi:10.1029/98JD02452.

Climate-modeling groups are having to assess their models' temperatures at high, thinly-observed altitudes in order to investigate near-tropopause forcings with confidence. To support such analyses, the microwave sounding unit (MSU), GFDL/Oort Radiosonde, COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA), and new 13-year National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) Reanalysis Project climatologies are intercompared herein in terms of their monthly-mean microwave brightness temperatures (Tb). In the lower stratosphere these climatologies agree extremely well. Small differences between NCEP/NCAR and MSU Tb centered at about 80 mbar amount to ∼2 K year-round across the tropics and ∼5 K in southern winter polar latitudes. Artificial land-ocean outlines ∼2 K do appear in maps of the NCEP/NCAR lower stratospheric Tb between 30°S-30°N. This NCEP/NCAR Tb land-ocean distinction may be due to sparseness of inputed radiosonde data at lower stratospheric heights not compensated for by satellite retrievals in the NCEP/NCAR assimilation process. In the upper troposphere, good agreement again occurs between the GFDL radiosonde, the CIRA, and the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Tb. However, the experimental MSU channel 3R climatology has markedly cooler upper tropospheric Tb. Coolness peaks at over 6 K across low latitudes and diminishes to a few K at polar latitudes with little seasonal dependence. MSU channel 3R's cool bias is likely due to a combination of channel 3 receiver drift and limb darkening problems. Latitudinal correction terms are suggested for this experimental, but valuable, MSU product based on comparisons with calculated NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Tb.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{sh06000k,
  author={Shah, K. P. and Rind, D.},
  title={Comparing upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperatures: Microwave sounding unit, radiosonde, COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere, and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis monthly-mean climatologies},
  year={1998},
  journal={Journal of Geophysical Research},
  volume={103},
  pages={31569--31592},
  doi={10.1029/98JD02452},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - sh06000k
AU  - Shah, K. P.
AU  - Rind, D.
PY  - 1998
TI  - Comparing upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperatures: Microwave sounding unit, radiosonde, COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere, and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis monthly-mean climatologies
JA  - J. Geophys. Res.
JO  - Journal of Geophysical Research
VL  - 103
SP  - 31569
EP  - 31592
DO  - 10.1029/98JD02452
ER  -

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